From Bruce Denness, Niton, Isle of Wight, UK
Adrian Smith’s imaginary camper virtually identified themselves as a theoretical physicist by displaying such disdain for proven instructions for erecting their tent. As a young oceanographic researcher at a northern UK university in the 1970s, I developed a novel deterministic climate forecasting methodology. When an even younger professor of theoretical physics arrived, I visited his office, where he listened politely while I described the method to him. After about 10 minutes, he interrupted me to ask whether I thought I could prove that the method worked in practice. When I answered positively, he said, “Well, it’s not theoretical then”, and showed me the door.
